February 1997
AGRICULTURE, VETERINARY MEDICINE AND NATURAL RESOURCES NEWS
FROM IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
New program shows Johne's disease can be controlled
Research at ISU's College of Veterinary Medicine has shown that
Johne's disease, a costly and widespread problem in cattle, can be
controlled. Veterinary medicine researcher Charles Thoen says a
new control program using vaccination and specific management
practices eliminated the disease in Iowa dairy herds that were
part of a six-year research project. Thoen adds that the program
is a practical approach to disease control. The program includes
vaccinations for young calves, changes in management techniques to
prevent exposure to the Johne's organism and laboratory tests. The
findings are preliminary and more research is needed to confirm
the results.
Johne's disease is the top dairy and beef research priority of the Iowa Livestock Health Advisory Council. The disease shrinks producers' profits through lower milk production and reduced salvage value. Thoen says a recent USDA study found that 40 percent of the dairy cattle herds and 3.7 percent of the dairy cattle surveyed in Iowa were infected with Johne's disease. Contact Thoen at (515) 294-7608 or Steve Jones, News Service, (515) 294-4778.
Better barriers to bug romance
Pheromones have been used around the country to disrupt the
meeting and mating of several moth pests. ISU entomologist Tom
Baker has been the first to conduct mating-disruption experiments
on the European corn borer, which reduces Iowa corn yields each
year by an average of 15 bushels per acre. Results are promising
but, with standard plastic pheromone dispensers, there are issues
of uniform coverage, timing, cost and the potential for litter in
fields that could be improved. Baker has developed technology that
may help overcome these problems. He is testing a device that
slowly releases pheromone at preset intervals and can shut down
automatically during the day, when most moths are not active. As a
future commercial product, Baker says it may be possible to use a
few per acre instead of hundreds of plastic tubes. Contact Baker
at (515) 294-7400 or Brian Meyer, Ag Information, (515) 294-
0706.
Warming up to task of piglets' needs
New energy-efficient heat lamps enhance the comfort and well-being
of baby pigs while saving producers 30 percent in energy costs,
ISU researchers have found. However, they also found that running
heat lamps all of the time wastes energy and doesn't provide the
ideal environment for the piglets. Agricultural engineer Hongwei
Xin is conducting trials to quantify when, where and how baby pigs
require the warmth of heat lamps. That information can be used to
adjust the use of heat lamps according to the facility's
environment and the thermal needs of piglets. Xin will review his
research at the second annual Iowa Energy Center Conference at ISU
on Feb. 19. Contact Xin at (515) 294-9778 or Brian Meyer, Ag
Information, (515) 294-0706.
Observing FFA Week at ISU
National FFA Week is Feb. 15-22. Here are several contacts for
stories related to the observance, or contact Susan Anderson, Ag
Information, (515) 294-0705.
- Seven of Iowa's nine state FFA officers are enrolled in ISU's
College of Agriculture. The state president is Grant Belden, an ag
business major from Moravia, (515) 292-1876. Other state officers
at ISU are Lisa Ahrens, north central vice president, Creston;
Brice Leonard, south central vp, Colfax; Renae Rubsam, northwest
vp, Ocheyedan; Jeremy Davis, northeast vp, Olin; Anna Riesselman,
southwest vp, Carroll; and Jennifer Curl, southeast vp,
Wellman.
- To recognize past and present FFA members on the ISU campus,
the College of Agriculture will host a breakfast on the second
floor of Curtiss Hall, Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 7:30 a.m. Contact
Gaylen Scofield, agricultural education and studies, (515) 294-
0045.
- The ISU Collegiate FFA Club gives students who enjoyed their
FFA experience a chance to maintain contact with the organization.
Contact club adviser Mike Gaul, horticulture, (515) 294-5624.
Several speakers are scheduled in the 1997 sustainable agriculture seminar series this spring. The series is a discussion of the interrelationhips between agricultural practices and water quality in Iowa in the 21st century, says ISU animal scientist Jim Russell, series coordinator.
The seminars air at 12 sites around Iowa via the Iowa Communications Network. All seminars are held at the Brenton Center in Curtiss Hall. For information, call 1-800-747-4478, or Anne Larson, Leopold Center, (515) 294-3711.
- Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m., Ralph Neill, Corning; John Greig
Estherville; Leroy Stoltenberg, Davenport: Protecting Iowa's
Water Resources in the 21st Century: A Producer's Perspective.
- Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m., Linda Appelgate, Iowa Environmental
Council Concerns and Support of the Public Regarding Surface and
Groundwater Quality in Iowa.
- Feb. 27, 7:30 p.m., Jim Baker, Agricultural and biosystems
engineering, ISU: Protecting Surface Water Quality through
Management of Agricultural Practices.
- March 6, 7:30 p.m., Rameshwar Kanwar, Agricultural and
biosystems engineering, ISU: Protecting Groundwater Quality
through Management of Agricultural Practices.
- March 20, 7:30 p.m., Roger Becker, University of Minnesota
Weed Management Systems: High Tech Solutions or Education to
Protect Water Resources?
- March 29, 9 a.m., Bruce Babcock, Center for Agricultural and
Rural Development, ISU: Farm Programs and Environmental Policy in
the 21st Century; 10 a.m., Richard Schultz, Forestry, ISU:
Improving Iowa's Water Quality: Streamside Management Systems.
Diana Pounds, University Relations, dpounds@iastate.edu
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